Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Let's put it this way Lak - I heard a Carl Hurley the comedian say that he grew up so far out in the boonies that they had to walk toward town to hunt......
New Food Plot - 20 Days without rain
- Thread starter Native Hunter
- Start date
Let's put it this way Lak - I heard a Carl Hurley the comedian say that he grew up so far out in the boonies that they had to walk toward town to hunt......
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
My dad just called and said we had about a 15 minute pop up shower that was strong at the farm. That's not much, but it should seal the deal on at least the grains and brassicas - maybe more! The rain dance helped.
THE LLC
Well-Known Member
But they can tell us exactly what is gonna happen in 50 years. Just watch the weather channel.
THE LLC
Well-Known Member
Let's put it this way Lak - I heard a Carl Hurley the comedian say that he grew up so far out in the boonies that they had to walk toward town to hunt......
Dad always said where he grew up wasn't the end of the world----but you could see it from there.
weekender21
Well-Known Member
44 miles as the crow flies to the nearest station but that's a really cool link! You know you're rural when Google Earth hasn't updated in six years.
X-farmerdan
Well-Known Member
I'm only trying to be helpful here.....there may be a misconception at work. You say only 44 miles as the crow flies. Could be, but, based on what I know about the COOP network, its hard to believe. It's the federal government at work, and those people (!) think different! The way the data is presented may not be the way most might think it would be. It took me a minute to figure out, and I've been coerced into thinking like a government hack. Which link do you refer to and in what state? Also, Google Earth imagery? For me, Google Earth Pro is displaying 2018 for both NC and HI. If that's not the case for you, I can get you an upgrade -- probably. What state / area? Western NC?
Drycreek
Well-Known Member
weekender21
Well-Known Member
I have Google Earth Pro as well. If you look over a population center like Charlotte, the most recent imagery is 4/26/18. The most recent imagery available for my property in Ashe County is 11/07/2013. The center of the Google Map says "Google 2018" but, that's not the image date. I know they've flown more recently, the GIS map for my County is at least 2015 or more recent.
The closest town to me based on your link is Elkin, NC which is 43.4 miles from my property...as the crow flies.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
The sunhemp I threw in my fall mix isn't bothered by the drought and appears to be popular with my deer. They are searching the plot and cherry picking every plant. I guess next year I need to do a summer plot with sunhemp and buckwheat.
PS: Still no drought or heat relief. Long range forecast shows one day with a 40% chance and 94 degrees forecasted on October 1st.
PS: Still no drought or heat relief. Long range forecast shows one day with a 40% chance and 94 degrees forecasted on October 1st.
Last edited:
Drycreek
Well-Known Member
The sunhemp I threw in my fall mix isn't bothered by the drought and appears to be popular with my deer. They are searching the plot and cherry picking every plant. I guess next year I need to do a summer plot with sunhemp and buckwheat.
PS: Still no drought or heat relief. Long range forecast shows one day with a 40% chance and 94 degrees forecasted on October 1st.
About the same forecast here Native, but of course at planting time we were given three chances for rain the following week. And they still want to predict what’s going to happen in 10 years ? SMH !
As for the Sunn Hemp, I only tried it once and it never got off the ground because of no rain immediately after planting. I think it’s time to give it another shot. Wonder about Sunn Hemp and Buckwheat in a mixed plot ?
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
In that mixed plot, I think you would just have to be careful and not get the sunhemp too think. Mine has only grown about a foot tall so far but I planted it late in the year and we are in a drought. They say that in the right conditions it can grow an inch a day and get over 6 feet tall. If you got it too thick, it would probably shade out the buckwheat. I'm going to make a wild guess and say 30 lbs of buckwheat and 10 pounds of sunhemp per acres would be about right for a first try.
As for my situation, I'm glad I added it and the small amount of buckwheat to my fall mix. The deer are eating both of them, and they are doing okay with little rain (Now 29 days with one tiny rain that lasted less than 10 minutes).
The worst part for me is what I feared - instead of clover I have weeds such as catchweed bedstraw, lambsquarters and others filling in the place where the clover would be. With the wheat and radishes, I will have an okay fall plot, but next year (because of this drought) I will have a weedy plot that I will probably want to do again.
Last edited:
Drycreek
Well-Known Member
My first stab at buckwheat was this spring, and I was satisfied with the results. Enough so, that I plan to plant more of it next year. The few plots that I planted were mostly weed free when I planted my fall plots this past week and the deer did browse it, though not nearly like they would have had it been beans or peas. It is so easy to grow and I couldn’t count the bees that were using as well. In my mind, that’s pretty important here given our lack of natural bee attraction.
Thanks for the advice on the mix. I’ll be trying that 3:1 mix on a few plots at least.
Thanks for the advice on the mix. I’ll be trying that 3:1 mix on a few plots at least.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Still waiting for rain but the plots look no worse than a week ago.
I watched the plots from my blind late yesterday afternoon. Several deer came out in one of the upper plots (which is nothing but wheat) and ate constantly for over an hour. I had clover planted in that plot but it never came up. That’s the most I have ever seen deer eat nothing but wheat at this time of year.
I watched the plots from my blind late yesterday afternoon. Several deer came out in one of the upper plots (which is nothing but wheat) and ate constantly for over an hour. I had clover planted in that plot but it never came up. That’s the most I have ever seen deer eat nothing but wheat at this time of year.
howboutthemdawgs
Active Member
I can echo that. I’m down the way from you and I have a camera over a plot that was supposed to be wheat and brassicas. Only the wheat has sort of come up but I get plenty of pics of deer chowing down
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
The interesting thing is that they recently harvested my neighbors corn, and there was a fair amount scattered here and there, left in his field. I didn't see a single deer out there looking for corn. The seemed focused mostly on the wheat. I did notice 3 deer that went into the edge of the woods and ate acorns for about 20 minutes and two others that stopped and ate Chinese Chestnuts, but all of them came back to the plots.
catscratch
Well-Known Member
Seen similar results as to what you guys are describing many times and have been a huge fan of wheat for a very long time. It's attractive, easy to grow, and cheap. You just can't go wrong with it.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
I agree catscratch, and the fact that it is flourishing in this long drought means a lot too.
I also think we are at the time of the year when the deer sense that it won't be long until most green plants will be dormant. The are loading up while it is still available. Of course we also know that deer are browsers, so the fact that I also observed them eating acorns and chestnuts as they moved along is not a surprise.
